The National tribune., 1887-06-23
GEN. STUART'S DEATH,
How the Chieftain Received His
Mortal Wound.
BY A. 3. MATTHEW'S, HISTORIAN, 1sr MICH
CAV, MILFORD, MICH.


Thus we sat talking moro than an hour near one
oi our batteries on the right Of our line north OF
Hall Sink. Stuart WAS pleased with the informa-
ton had brought him from Richmond. and ex-
pressed the intention Of retaining his position on
Sheridaus flank, and he hoped that, aided by
strong attack by the infantry in Richmond, he
might be able 10 nict serious disaster the enc
my's cavalry. WyclSham held the right, and
IomaN the left. Lomax's line extended along the
Telegraph road for short distance, then crossed
To a hill on the left, where was posted IA piece OF
artillery. Two guns were placed Immediately in
the road.
The Major is mistaken in this. Two guns were
on the hill across the road, and one gun in the
road some distance 10 tue rear.
The whole command was dismountcd. except n
portion OF the Ist Va. Cav which was retained
mounted reserve. | quote the following passage
from letter which | wrote to Mrs. Stuart soon
after the Generals death. which was published 10y
her authority In the seventh volume of the South
crn Historical Society Papers:
About o'clock the enemy suddenly threw
brigade Of cavalry (mounted) upon our extreme
leit attacking our whole line at the same time. rs
he always did, the General hastened 10 the point
where the greatest danger threatened-the point
against which the enemy directed the mounted
charge. My horse was 50 much exhausted by my
severe ride OF the morning. that could not keep
pace with him, but Capt. G.. W. Dorsey, of Co II,
lst Va. Cav, gave me the particulars that follow:
The enemys charge captured our battery on the
leit OF our line, and drove back almost tile entire
Ieit. Where Capt. Dorsey was staiioned-immedi-
aiey on the Telegraph Toad-about 80 men had
collected. and among these the General threw him
sell, aud 10y his personal example held them steady
while the enemy charged entirely past their posi-
non. With these men lac fired into their Hank and
rear as they passed him in advancing and retreat
Ing, for they were met by mounted charge OF the
lst Va. Cav, and driven back some distance. As
they retired, one man, who had been dismounted
IN the charge and was running out on foot, turned
as he passed the General and discharging his pistol
inflicted the fatal wound. When Capt. Dorsey
discovered that Gen. Stuart was wounded, he came
at once TO his assistance and endeavored To lead
him to the rear; but the Generals horse had be-
come so restive and unmanageab!e that he insisted
upon being taken down and allowed to rest against
q tree. When this was done Capt. Dorsey sent
for another horse. While waiting the General
ordered him TO leave him, and return to his men
aud drive back the enemy. He said he feared that
he was mortally wounded aud could be Of no more
service. Capt Dorsey told him that he could not
obey that order; that he would sacrifice his life
rather than leave him until he had placed him out
of all danger. The situation an exposed one.
Our men were badly scattered. and there was hardly
handful of men between that little group and the
advancing enemy. But the horse arrived in time !;
the General was lifted upon him and was led by
Capt Dorsey To a safer place. There. by the Gen
erals order he gave him into the charge OF Private
Wheatley, Of his company, and returned to rally
his scattered men. Wheatley procured an ambu-
lance, placed the General in IL with the greatest
care and supporting him in his arms he was driven
to the rear"
This was written by Maj. ii. r. Mcclellan,
Stuarts Adjutant-General,f from the statement
Of Capt. Dorsey, taken by him at the time.
Maj. Mcclellan also furnished me the following
extract from letter written to him by Maj.
McNulty. who at the engagement was Lieu
tenant of the battery, with the section that was
captured:
DO not think that the particulars as told by Capt
q. w. Dorsey do fulf justice to the memory OF that
gallant soldier. Stuart in his last charge up the hill
TO the plateau where the enemy were cheering over
the capture OF two guns Of the Baltimore Light
Artillery. Maj. Brcaihed and myself were almost
certainly the last two men, who not captured
that reached the road Being closely pursed 10y the
AZ
ing the branch at its base saw Gen. Stuart with n
flag in his hand surrounded by. think no more
than 50 men. lie called out something TO Mai.
Breathed. who in turn called to me. We checked
up our horses instantly aud drew sabers, having
exhausted our revJlvers and returned TO the spot
where the General was. He had already passed
the colors 10 trooper and started up the hill.
When we reached the erest-woods on one side and
"A small cleared field on the other where the battery
stood-a conyerging column struck the road few
rods from as and Instantly opened fire. which WAS
taken up by those who hal captured the section Of
artillery opposite. The IRE was very heavy for n
few minutes. j saw at this time soldier holding
Gen Stuart on his horse aud facing down the hill
again. For some reason the ene.hy did not pursue
for some time, possibly half an hour. Maj. Breathed
and myself retired 10 the bridge, where one gun of
the Baltimore Light Artillery was placed ia the
road, and Lieut.. Shanks, with Brealhed's old bat
tery in the field, kept up slow fire until the rain
and darkness became so dense aud heavy that there
was scarcely any probability Of pursuit.
Maj Mcclellan adds the following:
hope that you will do me the favor to interpret
this extract from Maj. McNulty's letter and that
| YOU will add TO IL any circumstances which came
under your personal observation. Can you in any
way reconcile the statements OF Capt Dorsey and
/ Maj McNulty? Dorsey was certainly there, and
l dismounted COnfcderates were certainly on the
l ground. The lst Wa. Cav, To which Dorsey be-
/ longed, was the only mounted reserve we had and
remember that that regiment passed me on the
/ road as was trying TO urge my broken-down
| horse toward the front. My horses had been dis
abled. aud was riding captured nag. sorry
animal.
Elijah Coiner, OF waynesbore, Va, who was a
Lieutenant in the lst Va. Cav. at the time of
the engagement, writes me under various dates
| from Aug. g. lS56, TO Nov. IL, 1856, from which
correspondence | extract the following:
| ON the llth Of May. 1864. at Yellow Tavern the
| regiment 10 which ! belonged-the lst Wa. Cav
| was posted on the left of our line. The entire
| regiment was dismounted excepting two souad-
| rons commanded by Capts. Hammond and Me
| Clung, the latter being my immediate commander.
Our two squadrons were stationed on the south
side of the creek, the right of the Telegraph road
with orders to charge the rear Of any advancing
u. = cavalry. At that moment Capt. Breaihed
came gallopng over the hill, shouting:
| Gen. stuart, you can recaplure my battery
| with two mounted squadrons."
Gen Stuart ordered a charge by column of fours
Capt Hammond leading the charge. Gen. Stuart
was riding the bank at the right of the road op-
postc the head Of the first squadron. Coiner says
| at the lrcad Of the second squAdronl As the head
OF the column had passed over the hall Capt Ham
| mond was shot and fell from his horse, when the
! column instantly halted. Gen. Stuart waved his
| saber and shouted, " Forward, men! - and rushed
forward himself The command quickly drew
back over the hill. and la few minutes the Gen.
eral came hack supported on his horse by Private
| Bruce, OF Capt. Dorsey's company. Capt. Dorsey's
narrative, ns far known to me, Is almost au
entire miscOnception Of the facts, for it conflict.
essentially with Mai. McNulty's account aud my
own substantiaied ~ il Is by eye-witnesses to tht
sad scene which terminated in the loss TO Virgini.
of her greatest cavalry chieftain. Capt Dorsey /,
| undoubtedly mistaken. The state of affairs wa,
occasioned, think, by a lack OF personal know l.
edge of the operations Of the forces on the nortl
! slope OF the hill. his (DGrsey'sl command beinI
engaged litIle beyond the crest of the hill.
Following is the description written by my
self at the time, assisted by Lieut.. Decker, VIII,
had the advance that day and was in commant
of the squadron composed of Cos l. and IL:
On reaching the guns Decker. with about 2,
men, passed by them and followed the track
made by the guns in getting to their position
a few rods TO the rear and down a steep banE
10 the creek bottom (which was marshy)
turned along the base of the bank on the har,
ground through the fence To the road anC
followed closely some mounted men, who haC
left the guns at our approach. i alone kept I,
the left on the high ground to the very steer
bank at the road, and followed some dis
mounted COnfederates down a cow path ant
across the road into the woods; captured on,
fellow and returned 10 the position of the guns
which, with the limbers aud prisoners, hat
been sent away instantly. On reaching then
Decker and his men came tearing back, fol
lowed by the road full OF mounted men. Th
road was narrow across the swamp and creek
and the rOad-bed in the bank on the opposit
I lHn af IL,